Culvert.



T. F. LUNDERGAN.

CULVERT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1914.

1,165,425. I Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

'rrromas F, LUNDERGAN, or MARION, 01am.

convert! messes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 28, 1915.

Application filed March 30, 1914. Serial No. 828,307.

. and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in metallicculverts and more particularly to that class of culverts built up of aplurality of separable sections.

The object of the present inventionresidesin the provision of a culvertcomposed of a plurality of sections which may be readily assembled toprovide a strong and compact structure without the use of any securing.means such as nuts or bolts, and to this end the invention resides inthe provision of a culvert including a bottom and sides so connected tothe bottom that they cannot move laterally or vertically with re-'lation thereto.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of such aculvert which may be very easily assembled or disassembled as desiredand which comprises a minimum number of parts so that it may be'inanufactured at a comparatively low cost.

vVith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel combination, formation and arrangement of' parts to be more fullyhereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings andparticularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended. v

7 Reference is had to the accompanying drawings wherein similarcharacters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, and in which: I

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a culvert constructed inaccordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a verticaltransversesectional View through the structure shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is aperspective view of one of the side plates of the culvert and Fig. 1 isa perspective view of a modified form of base plate, and Fig. 5 isasection on the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectionalview taken transversely through the side members.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, theculvert comprises a plurality of base plates 5, of substantially oblongshape-and having their ends abutting. Side members 7 and 8 are providedand are each arcuate in cross section and have their tops meeting toform with the base members, an inclosed passageway. i

To provide means for detachably securing the side members to the basemembers, said base members have extended outwardly from their sideedges, spaced tongues 9 which have the outer portions of their bottomfaces downwardly beveled as at 11. Each of the side members has atongueor a plurality of tongues 12 adapted to seat in the space between thetongues 9 of the adjacent base member, and the lower portion of thetongues 12 are provided at each end with outwardly extending lugs 13engaging the bottom face of the tongues 9. To assemble the members, theside members are placed with their tongues disposed adjacent and underthe tongues 9 of the base member and they are then rocked with thebottom faces of the tongues 9 as a fulcrum to position the tongues 12between the tongues 9. In this position the side members are heldagainst vertical movement by the lugs 13 and against outward horizontalmovement by the beveled portions 11 of the tongues 9. The lower edge ofthe inner face of the side members is formed with a longitudinal rib 14engaging the face of the base plate to prevent the side members fromrocking inwardly too far.

To provide a union for the meeting top edges of the side members, themember 7 is formed with a laterally extending portion 15' at its upperedge, and disposed on the inner face of the member are pairs of lugs 16which extend substantially parallel to the portion 15, the end of themember 8 seating between the lugs and the portion 15, and being providedwith lugs 15 which seat between respective lugs 16.

In Fig. 4 is shown a slight modification, wherein the sides of the baseplate are upwardly offset at 17 to facilitate the assembling of theculvert.

From the foregoing it is observed that a structure has been providedwherein the side members of the culvert are held against displacementvertically and against displacement laterally without first swingingsaid side members with their base edges as fulorums.

. What is claimed is:

A culvert comprlslng a base member,

spaced tongues extending outwardly from the side edges of the basemember and having their bottom faces downwardly -beveled, side membersadapted to mutually engage at their upper portions, tongues on thebottom edges of the side members disposed between tongues of the basemember Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner ot'latents,

and lateral extensions at the lower fpor '10 tionsof the second-namedtongue engaging the bottom faces of the'first-named tongue.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa-' ture, in the presence of tWoWitnesses.

Witnesses HAZEL GEMPF; WV. W. DOUGHTY.

THOMAS :e. L NDERGANL Washington, D. 0.

